The fuchsias are so small that it’s too easy to step on them. We reused some stones to make a small wall until they are a bit bigger.
Tag Archives: shrub
Hedge cut
We let the escalonia hedge grow a bit this year, and it seems to have recovered from the leaf yellowing earlier in the year. Maybe it was just frost damage. However, it was time to give it a trim, and a nice day to boot.
Planting Fuchsia ‘Riccartonii’
We are looking for some good shrubs for the garden, and Fuchsia ‘Riccartonii’ is one candidate. It’s a bit late in the year for planing them, but we’ll see how they do.
Escalonia cutback
After hard pruning one of our escalonias in April, the plant has made a good comeback. First signs of growth were in June, and now it is putting out lots of good shoots.
- First buds
- Shoots starting
- Healthy shoots
Blooming escalonia
The escalonia separating the back and front gardens is in full bloom and looking spectacular. Unfortunately, this hedge will have to go when the drive way is redone, but we may try moving the plants to see what happens.

Blooming escalonia
Pruning shrubs
May flowers #2
- Hawthorn blossom
- The ceanothus by the garage, which isn’t doing so well, still manages to give a great bloom
- This ceanothus was pruned very hard last year, and seems to be doing very well
Rhododendron flowers
- Rhododendron bud
- Rhododendron flower
Escallonia problems
Since we bought the house just over a year ago, the escallonia hedge has steadily deteriorated in condition. One particular area was very bad, and two plants there have died and been removed. But the yellowing of the leaves has continued and is spreading to all parts of the hedge.
There is a disease which has started affecting Escallonia in the last few years – Escallonia leaf spot. The symptoms look similar, but not identical to our leaves. Hopefully it is not leaf spot as there is not much which can be done for leaf spot infection other than keeping the plant well fed and watered and hoping.

Escallonia leaves
Escalonia pruning
Apparently escalonia can cope with a very hard prune, and should come back with fresh new shoots. We decided to test this on one individual escalonia stem, which needed a prune anyway.
- After the prune
- What was pruned